Life is for the Living
by Starjargon
Summary: Scene insert from Endgame when Tony invites them to stay for lunch and Steve realises being alive and living are 2 different things. Could be a stand alone or a prequel to "If Only the World wouldn't get in the Way" series. Prompt was Being Ticklish.


**A/N- A prequel of sorts to "If Only the World wouldn't get in the Way." Takes place during Endgame when Tony tells them they could stay for lunch if they don't talk shop.**

**Written for Happy Steve Bingo Prompt: Being Ticklish**

* * *

"So, Morgan, you're what, 14?" Scott asked over lunch.

"I'm 3!" she declared with a giant smile.

"Three? No way, you look so big, you have to be at least 7, am I right?" Scott looked up at Pepper, smiling, then at Steve to prompt him to continue the game.

"Nope, Mistress Morgan here was born 1, 2, 3 years ago," replied Tony, holding up his fingers as he counted before poking her side. She giggled.

Steve and Natasha each gave small smirks, not joining in the teasing.

"How old are you?" Morgan turned and asked Natasha.

Natasha smiled for real then.

"Oh, I was born much longer than 3 years ago," she responded vaguely. "But you know what? Mr. Steve was born even before Daddy," she whispered conspiratorially.

Steve huffed and gave Natasha a _look._

"How old are you, Mr. Steve?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah, Mr. Steve, how old are you now?" Tony egged her on, crunching a piece of celery between his teeth.

Steve glared at him, then turned to Morgan. "I was born in 1918. So, technically I turned 105 in July. However, due to certain circumstances, I was also frozen for 66 years, so I have only been _living_ for 39 years."

Morgan stared blankly.

The 4 adults looked at him in amusement, before Scott said, "Sheesh. 7 years ago he used to give great speeches."

Natasha and Tony both burst out laughing at that, while Steve looked confused.

"Steve, she's 3. Saying you were very old would have... been enough," explained Pepper, smiling at his helpless expression. He huffed and frowned.

"Daddy, why is Mr. Steve so sad?" asked Morgan, when she saw Steve turn his head to the side in serious contemplation.

"Well, Sweetie, Mr. Steve sometimes forgets that not everyone is an adult soldier and that it's okay to actually live that life of his," Tony explained, raising a judgmental eyebrow at him.

"But, you know what helps him remember?" Natasha asked, beckoning Morgan forward to whisper in her ear.

Morgan's face lit up, then she stood and walked around the table to Steve.

She extended both arms up at him expectantly. He looked helpless again.

"She won't bite, Steve," Scott explained.

"Well, she is my kid, so I make no promises," remarked Tony.

Steve looked around, then hesitantly picked the little girl up, giving her a gentle hug. She hugged him tightly around the neck, then looked up at Natasha and smiled.

"Now!" Natasha declared, and she began poking Steve along his sides, tickling him. Steve, caught off guard and with a young child hanging off him was powerless to ward her off and instead wiggled, trying both to keep hold of Morgan and to fend off the attack from his _best friend_.

"Tony, a little help here?" he asked, trying to block Natasha's ruthless attack and hang on to the toddler at the same time.

"Sure thing, Cap," said Tony with a smile, "Morgan, tickle him behind the ears, he's super ticklish there," Tony encouraged.

Pepper raised an eyebrow until he explained Clint and he had once made a bet over who could find the most interesting tickle spots on the team's bodies. The most interesting was Fury, who was apparently very ticklish behind his left knee. "You don't want to know how he found that one out," Tony explained, while Pepper laughed at the famously stiff Steve Rogers being taken down by a giggling three-year-old.

Steve had now decided offense was the best defence and had begun tickling Morgan back with one hand, counter-tickling Natasha with the other. She shouted and laughed, moving back and out of his reach; he was finally able to bring Morgan to his side and now both were reaching for Natasha.

Finally, all three collapsed in an exhausted heap on a sofa in the lounge, smiles on both Steve and Natasha's faces bigger than they could recall in the last 5 years.

"Okay, Miss Morgan, enough playing. Time to let Mr. Steve, Ms. Natasha, and Mr. Scott go now," Pepper said, picking up her baby and watching the 2 Avengers catch their breath.

"Thank you for lunch, Pepper. Think about what I said, Tony," Steve reminded as they all prepared to leave.

"This is my life now, Steve. No regrets," Tony reiterated, holding a smiling Morgan, who became shy and waved while nuzzling Tony's neck.

As they were preparing to leave, Steve looked back on the life Tony Stark had built for himself. And he realised being a part of it for just that last hour made him happier than he could remember being since 1945, when he still dreamed of having that kind of life.

And, he decided Tony had a point. Once all this was over, maybe it was time to start _living_ his life.


End file.
